When taking a look at the top MLB hitters going into the 2026 regular season, is it really any surprise that Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani tops the list?

Absolutely not. 

Mind you, Ohtani and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge were getting a lot of attention from a number of MLB beat writers who cover different teams. 

According to an MLB.com article, though, the top vote-getter to lead the initial Hitter Power Rankings was Ohtani himself. MLB.com reporter Andrew Simon offered this breakdown of Ohtani, with a mention of Judge, too.

"'Ohtani or Judge?' has been a running theme of the Hitter Power Rankings in recent seasons, and things are no different as we open 2026," Simon wrote.

"Our voting panel was almost exactly split on which one to put first, and while Judge actually got one more first-place vote than Ohtani – (Juan) Soto got one as well – it was Ohtani who came out one point ahead in the overall tally," Simon continued.

In the 2025 MLB season, where Ohtani, along with the Dodgers, won a second consecutive World Series championship, he put together an insane slash line of .282/.622/1.014. Ohtani hit 55 home runs and drove in 102 RBIs in the regular season.

What about Ohtani's postseason numbers last season? In 68 at-bats, Ohtani put together a slash line of .265/.691/1.096. He hit eight home runs, collected 14 RBIs, three doubles, and a triple. 

During Spring Training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, Ohtani had one start as a pitcher. In 4 1/3 innings, Ohtani allowed no runs, one hit, walked two, and struck out four.  

"After a carefully managed return to the mound in 2025 that resulted in just 47 regular-season innings, Ohtani will be back to being a full-fledged two-way player this year," Simon wrote.

"That could create some challenges, but then again, we’ve seen Ohtani carry that burden quite successfully before," Simon continued. "At this point, it’s hard to say there’s anything he can’t do."

Ohtani, 31, has shown an ability to hit game-changing home runs for the Dodgers. Put that together with his pitching prowess and the Dodgers just might have a big-time player on their hands.

Like, the Dodgers didn't know this already. Ohtani, "The Great Ohtani" if you will, is going to get his hacks at the plate this season. He hopes to equal or better what he accomplished during the regular season and postseason in 2026.

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